Canvass reveals no discrepancies

June 07, 2012|SCOTT WALTMAN | swaltman@aberdeennews.com

An anticipated recount in Tuesday's Aberdeen City Council race will not be scheduled until next week.

The city finance office will set the time and date. But that won't be done until after Karl Alberts, city finance officer, returns to the office Monday, said Mary Campton of the city finance/auditor's office. Alberts is out of town on business.

Originally, a recount date of June 18 was announced. But Maxine Fischer, Brown County auditor, said Thursday that differences in the guidelines that govern city and county recounts caused some confusion.

State law says that a county recount would be the second Monday after a recount request is filed. Were the request to be filed by the end of this week, that would make the recount date June 18. For a municipal election, though, the city finance office sets the date.

A recount request would also be filed at the city finance office as opposed to the county auditor's office, Fischer said.

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State law does not specify a time line for cities or towns to schedule recounts, Campton said. However, she said, terms on the City Council begin in July.

Jim Kraft, incumbent member of the Aberdeen City Council representing the Northeast District, filed for a recount Thursday at the city finance office. He was defeated Tuesday by Mark Remily by two votes, 409-407. The winner will serve a five-year term on the council.

In the event of a recount, a three-person board would review all the ballots cast in the Northeast District, comprised of precincts 2, 4 and 7 in Aberdeen. Each candidate would be allowed a representative, and Alberts would appoint a third person agreeable by both sides.

Also Tuesday in Aberdeen, Todd Campbell and Clint Rux were re-elected to five-year terms on the council without opposition. Campbell represents the Northwest District, Rux the Southeast District.

Mike Miller and Brad Olson were re-elected without opposition to three-year terms on the Aberdeen Public Board of Education. There were also other races across the region and state.

A Thursday canvass of the primary election found no discrepancies.

During the canvass, the number of ballots cast at each precinct was compared to the number of ballots turned in by workers from each polling place. In all 22 precincts, the number of voters recorded in poll books coincided with the number of votes tabulated.

Members of the Aberdeen City Council, Brown County Commission, Aberdeen public school board and Elm Lake/Frederick school board helped with the inspection.

A canvass is not a recount. The number of votes cast for individual candidates is not reviewed during a canvass.

In a state House Republican primary in District 6, Isaac Latterell, formerly of Aberdeen and now of Tea, was one of two candidates to advance to the November general election. He and fellow Republican Herman Otten of Tea will take on Democrats Michael C. Jauron of Sioux Falls and Joseph Weis of Tea. The two top vote-getters will earn two-year terms in Pierre.